Poltergeist
by alien09
Summary: You're kind of like my bro, you know? Except you have a nice rack. / A Puckleberry fic that marries my epic love for Supernatural and Glee. Now with teaser for my new series - Cadaverous - a where Puck hunts evil things with the Winchesters.
1. Chapter 1

'You cannot be serious,' Rachel tells him, tone flat. She's folded her arms across her chest and is somehow managing to peer down her nose at him despite the fact that she barely reaches his shoulder. Puck shrugs his shoulders, watching as she pulls a few thick textbooks out of her locker for the weekend.

'C'mon Berry. It isn't like you've got anything else better to do,' he tells her. He can already tell it's the wrong thing to say because Rachel slams the door to her locker somewhat violently, and Puck jerks instinctively back.

'If _that _is an attempt to persuade me, I'm sorry to inform you that it's having the exact _opposite _effect,' she says in this haughty tone that made Puck want to roll his eyes. It was times like this he wondered why he was even friends with the chick in the first place. But then he remembers the resolute way Rachel has stuck up for him since the big reveal about Quinn's baby, the way she's somehow managed to wriggle her way under his skin and become an integral part of his life. It was kind of terrifying, but in a good way Puck thinks. Because if there was one person you wanted in your corner, it was Rachel Berry with her gold stars and pit bull determination.

'Hey look,' Puck attempts to placate her, even going so far as to forcibly remove the books from her arm and settle them into his own. She gives him a suspicious look and then simply stares straight ahead, Puck slowing his stride to match hers. 'I mean haven't you ever _thought _about what goes on up there?'

'Noah, what you are referring to is simply a _myth_. There is no such thing as ghosts.'

'Dude, Linder was practically shitting his pants when he told us about what went down at the hospital last night,' Puck breathes out, remembering the fucking horrified expression plastered all over the behemoth linebacker's face.

'I fail to see why you need _me _to come along with you,' Rachel questions as he holds open the door for her. She gives him a quick smile and completely misses the puzzled frown that comes over Puck's features. He didn't know _why _Rachel needed to be there. Truth was Berry was probably going to scream her fucking head off and jump on his back. Not that that wasn't a terrible idea, Puck considers, as he takes in her long legs. If a hot girl wanted to get up all on this, who was he to deny her that right?

'Because Berry,' he makes sure his face is serious, 'tonight is going to be _epic_.'

Rachel actually snorts.

'What? You chicken or something?' Puck taunts because he suddenly realizes the easiest way to goard Rachel into _anything _was to poke at her weak spot – her ego.

'Hardly,' she bites back and struggles to lift her trolley bag into the back of his truck. Puck doesn't even bother to be polite as he grabs the things out of her hands and throws it inside, dumping the rest of her books carelessly beside it.

'I think that you are Berry,' Puck drawls as he helps her into the cab. 'S'okay. You're not the first _girl _to be scared of the paranormal. Don't know what I was thinking. Forget it.'

'I am _not _afraid of ghosts!' Rachel practically yells into his ears. 'There is _no _such thing and when you step foot into that hospital, you'll see that I'm right.'

Puck clucks like a chicken instead.

Rachel gapes.

A few hours later finds Rachel crammed inside his truck along with Puck, Mike and Matt. Puck tries to ignore the way Rachel's thigh and chest are pressing into his side because of the close quarters, instead humming along to Kansas on the mix tape Mike had slotted into his CD player. Mike is drumming his fingers along the window while Matt has his arms slung over the back of the seat.

'Man, stop playing with my hair,' Puck feels Matt's fingers brush against the back of his neck. Matt mumbles an apology and instead settles his arm around Rachel's shoulders. The knuckles of on his steering wheel turn white as Puck tries to figure out why this upsets him.

'I cannot believe we're doing this,' Rachel's voice breaks the comfortable silence that has hung inside the truck. Puck signals right to turn onto Western Ohio.

'This is so _awesome_. I can't believe we're actually doing this,' Mike crows like a little girl.

'Calm the fuck down Other Asian. You sound like you just saw Justin Bieber,' Puck shoots back.

'Dude, how the hell do you know who Justin Bieber is?' Matt asks, surprised.

'Hannah hasn't shut the fuck up about him since last week. Guy looks like a twelve year old girl,' Puck wrinkles his nose at his little sister's latest obsession. 'Those Jonas Brothers actually look legit next to that idiot.'

'His vocals are sub par at best,' Rachel interjects. She's fidgeting in her place, shifting this way and that, pressing herself against him unintentionally (at least he hopes so). 'I cannot believe I'm actually participating in this nonsensical endeavour!'

'I full on Jedi mind tricked you Berry,' Puck tells her smugly. 'A little of the gun show and you were totally bedazzled.'

'Yes Noah, your lovely arms haunt my dreams,' Rachel retorts, pressing her hands against the tight tank top she's wearing and fluttering her eyelashes.

'Whatever. Don't pretend like you didn't like the taste of Puck pie you've had,' Puck leers at her and Rachel slaps his arm. '_Ow_ Berry! Quit assaulting me!'

'Children,' Matt clucks out as Puck turns right at Garden Boulevard. The night air is still and Puck can't hear any crickets or whatever insect life that he's supposed to be hearing. It kind of makes his stomach curl but he flicks on the high beams, glancing down at the crude map Linder had drawn for him.

'We're here,' Mike announces as the hospital looms ahead of them behind the iron gate. There's a metal chain and padlock hanging in the front, with a sign that screams _Trespassers will be prosecuted_.

'Look at that!' Rachel hisses, grabbing his arm as he cuts the engine and pointing towards the sign. 'We could get _arrested_.'

'Will you chill the fuck out Berry?' Puck grumbles, gently removing her hand from his bicep. Her hands are so tiny they couldn't even make their way round his arm. 'There's no one but the four of us for practically a million miles.'

'For some reason, that doesn't appear to comfort me,' she mutters under her breath as Mike turns on the flashlight he's brought along. Puck slides out of the truck, hands settling around Rachel's waist as he helps her out. His touch lingers for a second too long and Rachel tilts her head to the side. Clearing his throat, Puck steps around her and heads towards Mike and Matt who are elbows deep in the duffle the three of them had put together. He doesn't miss the fact that Rachel practically runs to keep up with him.

'Is that a _gun_?' Rachel whispers, brown eyes flying wide open.

'It's a BB gun,' Matt quickly assures her.

'You did the salt thing?' Puck asks and Matt nods, shaking the gun and letting the salt pellets inside rattle.

'Salt?' Rachel looks like she doesn't want to ask the question.

'We're about to find ourselves in some Sam and Dean Winchester shit Rachel,' Mike says as he hefts out an iron poker. Rachel gives the three of them a look, like she can't even begin to comprehend the sheer stupidity that's coming her way.

'While admittedly Jensen Ackles is the epitome of male perfection-' Puck frowns at her words, '-it doesn't disguise the fact that the show is a work of _fiction_!'

'Relax. The writers do research and crap,' Matt thinks he's calming her down. Puck spots the tic above her right eyebrow and knows that didn't quell her ire at all.

'_Imbeciles_! The lot of you!' She forces through clenched teeth. Puck shares a look with Mike and Matt before loosely grasping Rachel's shoulder and dragging her a few feet away.

'Listen to me,' Puck intones, leaning down so that his nose is barely touching hers. Something electric fills the space between them but Puck chalks it up to adrenaline. 'We're teenage boys okay? We do stupid, moronic things like trying to figure out how many buffalo wings we can cram into our mouths without hurling all over the table. So can we just consider this some rite of passage? Because if you're going to spend the next hour or whatever ragging on us, you can wait in the car.'

'I am _not _waiting in the car,' Rachel says immediately and Puck feels kind of bad when he hears the fear in her voice. There are goosebumps sprouting up her bare arms and Puck rubs his palm over them, trying to keep her warm. She's practically a midget and probably freezing.

'C'mon. I'll get you a jacket,' is all he says and Rachel drifts back towards Mike and Matt, who eye her warily. When Puck emerges with a worn McKinely sweatshirt, Rachel is gesturing towards the hospital and telling their friends where the best possible entry point is.

'Thanks,' she murmurs shyly and Puck takes a moment to appreciate the way Rachel looks in his clothes, glaring when Mike gives him this retarded smile.

'Ready?' Matt looks at the three of them. Puck and Mike nod and Rachel heaves out a sigh before doing the same. The gaps in the gate are big enough for them to squeeze through. As Mike and Matt walk a few paces ahead, Puck practically jumps out of his skin when Rachel's cold fingers find his own. She's biting her lip and pretending that everything is normal so Puck gives her hand a squeeze and tugs her towards him, close enough that they don't get in each other's way.

There is a quiet, haunting feel about the place when they slip inside the building. Puck brushes off the pollen stuck to his pants from the long stalks of wild grass they had had to go through, the light from his torch bouncing off what looked like a front desk.

'I feel like I'm Linda Blair,' Mike says softly but his words echo around.

'You feel that?' Matt asks and Puck feels the back of his neck prickle, as if he is being watched.

'Yeah,' he answers shortly and feels Rachel's hand shake inside his grip. He catches a glimpse of her face but it doesn't show any fear and Puck is kind of impressed. If it were Quinn or some other girl, they'd already be crying. Probably not Santana though. Heck, Puck wagered that'd whatever was in here would probably run crying from Senorita Loca.

'Shhh,' Rachel suddenly hisses and they all freeze. There is a muffled sound and Puck raises his eyes to look above.

'Shit, there isn't any electricity in this place right?' Mike says out of the corner of his mouth.

'Noah-'

'Look, it's probably just our minds fucking with us okay? The adrenaline or whatever,' Puck interrupts Rachel and injects authority into his tone.

'You're right,' Rachel finally whispers, voice small. Puck practically squeezes the blood out of her hand.

'Hey check this out,' Matt gestures towards a stack of tires piled up in front of a door. The four of them crowd around, surveying the area around. There's scorch marks decorating the walls and floor, as if a fire had eaten its way through the inside of the area.

'Looks like a barricade,' Mike thinks out loud and Puck wonders _why _there's one there. The hospital had been used to treat tuberculosis patients back in the day and Puck didn't think that someone weak and barely conscious was going to pose much of a threat.

_Thud. Thud._

Puck whipped his head around, trying to find the source of the noise.

'What's that?' Rachel whisper shrieked.

The pounding sound grew louder, harder, faster. It was as if someone was charging towards them.

'Run!' Puck wasn't sure which one of them says it but suddenly the four of them were hurtling towards the side entrance, feet slipping.

'It's coming _closer_!' This time Rachel full on screams and Puck hauls her against his side, twisting his head around as the pounding filled the narrow hallway. It drowns out the sharp pain stitching up his side and the harsh panting of his breath as he pushes his way closer towards the exit.

'_Fuck _Rutherford! _Swiss cheese that motherfucker!_' Puck shouts, pushing Mike hard to force him forward. Matt obliges, hand on the trigger even before he's turned around. The pellets explode against the walls and floor with a deafening bang and Puck doesn't know whether it's worked or not.

'Shit!' Mike wheezes out, the iron poker in his grasp clanging against the floor. No one bothers to pick it back up.

They burst through the entrance, pushing through the grass as if the devil himself were on their heels. Puck feels his skin catch against the rusty metal of the gate but he didn't care. He threw Rachel into the cab and turned the key in the ignition, Mike scrambling to climb inside as he backs out of the pathway full throttle. Rachel is still clutching his hand like a lifeline, eyes practically falling out of their sockets.

They don't speak and Puck can only hear the sharp intake of breath, the chattering of teeth, the clacking of bones. The terror that courses through his veins makes it difficult to breathe and Puck thinks that tonight was the stupidest fucking idea he's _ever _had. And that's counting sexing up Quinn Fabray.

'You saw that too right? That…whatever it was through the window,' Mike shatters the tense silence with his words when Puck pulls up outside the Rutherford household. Puck swallows, seeing the blurry outline of _something _darting in and out of his vision. He doesn't answer the question and Mike and Matt simply close the door, not even bothering to say goodnight.

'I'm staying with you,' Rachel is almost in his lap when she says this and Puck's too busy trying not to piss his pants to disagree. Besides his mother's working graveyard and Hannah's over at a sleepover.

He tells Rachel to wait in the car, headlights on full blast, as he unlocks the front door to his house. His hands are shaking when they reach for the light switch and Puck doesn't even care how it looks that he's turned on every fucking light they have. He locks up the truck and pretty much carries Rachel inside, bolting the front door and slowly making his way up the stairs with Rachel in his arms. His elbow finds the light switch in his room and Puck doesn't even ask if Rachel wants it on.

Besides, if anyone asks he'd just say it was for her.

It is under the white glow of his ceiling fan that he sees the tears on Rachel's cheeks. His chest squeezes and this time its not fear but remorse and anger.

'Fuck Rach, don't cry,' he mumbles desperately and Rachel just lets out this little sob as she folds herself onto his single bed, facing away from him. He sits down on the small sliver of space left and hesitantly reaches for her face, something inside uncoiling when she doesn't flinch away from his touch. Soon he's smoothing the pieces of hair behind her ear and telling her that he's sorry for bringing her, that he's an asshole and she'd totally be in the right if she kicked him in the balls.

'That sounds painful,' she laughs and its wet and full of tears but at least it's a _laugh_.

'I shouldn't have made you come with,' he protests. Rachel sniffles and angles her face to look at him. Her eyes and nose are red, whatever makeup she's had on completely gone now.

Puck doesn't think he's seen anything more adorable.

'I _insisted_.'

'Only after I fucking made you,' he retorts, rubbing the shell of her ear absently.

'Can we just go to bed?' She asks, sounding tired and scared. Puck nods his head and gets up off the bed, pulling his shoes off as Rachel does the same. The comforter is pulled back and Puck doesn't know what to think when Rachel presses her body against his, flush and close. Her ass is grazing the front of his jeans and Puck squirms uncomfortably, shifting away as he settles the comforter over the both of them. He closes his eyes and breathes in her shampoo.

Rustling makes him open his eyes and he finds himself staring into a pair of doe ones.

'I feel safe,' she says, making it sound like an announcement. Puck attempts to push away the feeling of elation and astonishment that accompanies her words and raises an eyebrow.

'Thanks?' He doesn't know what to say.

Suddenly she's pressing her lips against his. It's short, quick. The barest brush of her lips against his. But it sends a charge that crackles over his skin and makes his stomach twist with anticipation.

'You're welcome,' she says, burying her head under his chin. Puck lies flat on his back, Rachel half on top of him with his arm firmly wrapped around her shoulder. Her fist his balled up against his chest and soon her fingers are fisting the excess material of his sweatshirt. And then her breathing evens out and she's just asleep, breath even and everything.

_Your best friend just kissed you._

_Don't even try to fucking deny you liked it Puckerman._

The thought makes him press his cheek against her hair and pull her closer. Rachel murmurs something unintelligible before hooking her leg over his. Puck smiles drowsily before feeling his heart rate subside, the panic from the hospital subsiding.

After all, who needed rock salt when he had Rachel Berry?


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow. I acquiesce to your demand. This is now multi-chap. Now review or else…**

When Puck wakes up there is a warm body next to him. His nose is pressed up into hair that smells like the wind and the inside of his truck, and there are small fingers scrunching up the fabric of his shirt just above his heart. He blinks, once and then twice, resisting the urge to stretch out. There is light slanting in through the slats of his blinds and Puck gives in and rubs his eyes.

Rachel stirs and Puck stills, holds his breath. She lets out a little sigh and then snuggles into him further, nose brushing against the skin of his neck. He pushes away that feeling of electricity, reminding himself its just the leftover adrenaline from last night. Because Rachel was his friend, his _best _friend. And thoughts like that would probably just fuck the only good thing still left in his life right now.

So Puck just lies there, one hand behind his head, watching absently as the light plays against the wall of his bedroom. He strains his ears when he hears his mother come in, relaxes when she simply pounds up the stairs and into her bedroom.

What happened last night plays over and his head and he swallows inaudibly, feels the back of his neck prickle. Shit. That _wasn't _supposed to have happened. Puck figured Linder was just being a pussy. Mike and Matt, the rock salt and the iron poker – that had all been just for show. So now he's trying to figure out if what actually happened _happened_. Because there was just no fucking way ghosts were real.

Right?

'Noah?' A small, tired voice says and Puck shakes his head, glancing down to see Rachel wrinkling her nose.

'Sup Berry?'

'What time is it?' She asks and Puck looks at his clock.

'Way past feeding time,' he answers and Rachel rolls her eyes, shifting away from him. She presses the palms of her hands into her eyes, runs her fingers through her hair. Puck can tell she's self-conscious but he just watches her anyway, doesn't even notice that the hand at her waist is tracing small circles into her side. There is a muffled thump and she freezes and Puck again feels that annoying feeling of remorse creep up on him.

'Chill. It's probably just my Mum,' he tells her and Rachel immediately launches herself off his bed, stares at the door like its going to open any second.

'Your _mother's_ home?'

Puck gives her a weird look, wondering why she's so freaked. Truth was Abigail Puckerman worshipped the ground Berry walked on. One look at the Star of David hanging around Rachel's neck and the girl had pretty much bought a lifetime get out of jail free card. He was pretty sure that if his mother did come barging in here, somehow the situation would end up being _him _corrupting _her._

Which, let's face it, was probably the truth.

'Dude chillax. The apocalypse won't be able to wake her. I swear, for all the shit she gives me, that woman can sleep like the dead,' Puck rolls onto his feet. Rachel plants her hands on her hips, some of her hair sticking up on the side she'd slept on. Puck doesn't know whether to tell her this or not and then just decides not to.

Rachel's looking around, taking in her surroundings. Puck knows the moment she realizes what she's doing here because she starts fidgeting and there's blood rushing to her cheeks. Her eyes are flitting around like a hummingbird and Puck sloppily makes his bed, if only to avoid what he thinks is the awkward silence that has descended down on them.

'I should probably get home,' Rachel finally murmurs and Puck wonders why her leaving bothers him so much.

'Yeah sure,' he mumbles and grabs his keys off the bed stand. He doesn't need to look behind him to hear that Rachel's quickly made up his bed just right. He practically tramples down the stairs and Rachel shoots him a glare. Puck smirks, whistling loudly just to rile her up.

'Noah, has it failed to escape your attention that I _do not _want our presence announced?' She's hissing through clenched teeth.

'What the hell are you bitchin' about now?' Puck asks innocently. Rachel, predictably, smacks him on the arm. It doesn't hurt but Puck pulls away and rubs at the spot like it does.

'Fuck Berry. What did I say about bruising this fine piece of ass?'

She mutters something about his uncouth nature and brushes by him when he unlocks the door. Puck heaves a sigh and unlocks the doors to the truck. He starts the engine and backs out of the driveway, Rachel silent beside him. It's a short drive to her place but if there was one thing that was a certifiable fact, it was that Rachel didn't know when to shut up. It wasn't like she talked all the damn time. Puck had come to acknowledge that Berry knew just the right times to listen, those big brown eyes completely fixated on you like you were telling her something that demanded her complete and utter attention. It was one of the things he liked about Rachel.

'Listen,' he clears his throat. 'I'm sorry about yesterday.'

Rachel actually looks like she jumps out of her seat and Puck frowns at her when she speaks.

'Oh. I already know that Noah. You even offered to let me…' She trails off and her eyes rest on his crotch. Her cheeks flame and Puck starts thinking of his Bubbie mowing the lawn, or hitting a mailman with his car.

'Yeah well. I shouldn't have made you come with us. Sometimes I forget you're a girl you know?' He remarks flippantly. He doesn't notice the way Rachel flinches at his words because he's keeping an eye on the road.

'What's done is done,' her tone is rigid and Puck sweeps his eyes over her face, noticing that the smile she has on is a little bit too forced.

'But really, you're okay to crash at home by yourself?' He deflects. Rachel's fingers tighten over the edge of the seat but she nods her head, squaring her shoulders.

'I'll be perfectly fine. I apologize for my display of…clinginess last night. The influx of epinephrine was obviously-'

'Whatever Berry,' he cuts her off abruptly, shifting gears so he can pull up at the curb. It's irritating the way she's treating what happened after – the fact that she told him she feels safe with him, which Puck thinks is a _huge _fucking deal – like it isn't important. Something like anger makes his words curt and Rachel flashes him a disgruntled look that would have had Puck laughing any other time.

'Is something the matter?'

'Can you _talk _like you're _not _a sixty year old cat lady?' He shoots back. It's mean and snarky but right now he doesn't care.

'Excuse me if I feel the need for an expansive vocabulary,' she retorts and folds her arms across her chest. Puck taps his fingers on the wheel impatiently.

'God, no wonder people think you're such a freak,' he mutters under his breath and then winces because _shit_.

There is a sharp intake of breath beside him and Puck's already scrambling for something to say, _anything _to say.

'Thank you for the lift,' she doesn't say his name and Puck swings his head around to see she's already got the door halfway open.

'Berry, wait. I didn't-'

'_Goodbye _Noah,' she bites out without turning around and he doesn't know whether to feel chastised or relieved when she says his name that way, like it's a revelation that there's this whole other side of him that she knows isn't a complete tool.

Before he can even get another word out, Rachel's slammed the door hard enough for the frame to shake and she's hurrying up the steps to the front porch. Puck sits there, immobilized, wondering why he'd said what he'd said.

No good reason came to mind, which just made it a billion times worse.

'_Fuck_,' Puck growls out, contemplating slamming his head against something hard. Knowing there was no way in Pandora Berry was going to give him the time of day right now, Puck pulls away and grinds his molars.

He's pretty sure when Dean Winchester coined the term primitive screw-ups, he had been thinking of Puck.


	3. Chapter 3

Rachel can't sleep for a number of reasons, all of them involving Puck.

'I cannot believe I let him talk me into that nonsensical endeavour,' she mutters under her breath, huddling down inside the thick blanket she's got wrapped around her. Her fathers are away on a business trip and usually she enjoys the solitude afforded to her in this big house. But right now all she can hear is the empty space, the rustle of leaves outside, the creaking of the wood as it expands and contracts. Her fingers tighten their grip on the blanket and she forces herself to pay attention to whatever Barney Stinson is saying on-screen.

It doesn't work so instead she thinks about how _stupid _she's been in the past twenty-four hours. How utterly _idiotic _it was for her to even consider that Puck might have some kind of feelings for her.

She'd kissed him and he hadn't pulled away, had even let her snuggle up beside him. Rachel had liked the way his skin was warm, the way his heart thumped in a pattern that made it easy for her to forget the sheer unadulterated terror that had coursed through her veins inside the hospital. But then she had woken up and Puck had just acted…like _Puck_. He'd smiled and joked and hadn't given any indication that last night had meant anything to him.

_God, no wonder people think you're such a freak._

His words still make her eyes burn and her chest constrict. Puck was supposed to be a friend at the very least, wasn't he? She had thought that after everything they had been through these past few months that he would consider her at the very least someone worthy of his respect. Getting roped into whatever last night was as _something_, wasn't it?

Something rattles against the window and Rachel jumps, lets out a small scream.

'Okay. _Okay_. There's _nothing _wrong with losing a few battles,' she whispers as she reaches for her phone, scrolling down and finding Mike's number. It rings out. She tries Matt to equal effect. She attempts them both again but neither pick up their phones. She sees the name _Noah _flash across her screen and decides that its either him or endure a night in this house alone.

She presses send and promises herself to make this night _extremely _painful for him.

'Rachel?' He doesn't use her first name often. This time he sounds surprised to hear from her, almost relieved.

'Are you busy at the moment?'

She hears something rustling, sheets or paper she can't quite tell, before Puck speaks again. 'No. You need me to come over?'

Rachel _hates _that he can hear exactly how she feels. She's spent a lot of time perfecting her stage smile and this boy has somehow managed to see through it with minimal effort. It's disconcerting.

'Need is an extremely strong word. I'd rather use the word _request_-'

'Whatever. See you in ten.' He hangs up abruptly and Rachel glares down at the phone before hanging up, rolling her eyes.

Her doorbell rings in nine minutes and she peeks through the curtains to make sure its him. She spots his mohawk and favourite black hoodie before twisting open the door. He stares at her across the threshold, looking slightly nervous like he doesn't know how she's going to act. Rachel merely stares right back, not saying a word.

'Can I come in?' He finally asks sarcastically.

'Are you a vampire?' She demands seriously, recalling all the knowledge she's gained from _Buffy _and _Angel_. Puck raises an eyebrow before stepping past her, giving her a look that told her he thought she had finally lost it.

He's running a hand through his strip of hair when she's done locking the door, and his hands are shoved in his pockets while he rocks back onto the balls of his feet.

'Would you like something to drink?' She keeps her tone formal, aloof.

'Hey listen, about what I said before-'

'I'd rather not discuss it Noah,' she makes sure to use his given name because he wants him to feel guilty, to let him know that she thought he'd finally achieved some kind of personal growth through their friendship. But that his words have maybe erased most of that progress.

He curls his fingers around her arm and she tries to shake him off, to get rid of that static that's singed her skin at his touch. She flashes her eyes upwards and Puck doesn't give any indication that he's noticed it, which just makes her feel angry and hurt until she can't quite decide which one she should go for.

'You know I didn't mean that.'

'What? That I'm a freak?' She says softly but harshly. Puck winces.

'Look I was just…I don't know, being a dick like usual.'

'That doesn't excuse what you said. And you obviously must have thought them before for them to come so easily to your lips.'

'C'mon Berry, you know I don't think you're weird. Heck, if anyone's off their rocker my money's on Chang,' he smiles and Rachel narrows her eyes.

'This isn't a laughing matter,' she hisses through her teeth and attempts to shrug him off. His fingers only get tighter and suddenly he's leaning down just like last night, his face inches from her own.

'No, it's not,' he tells her seriously and Rachel is momentarily taken aback at how _mature _Puck looks. She's seen it before, of course, this sense of purpose. When he'd told Quinn that he wanted to be a part of his daughter's life whether she liked it or not, that he was going to be someone his baby girl would remember eighteen years from now if she ever decided to look for him.

'I'm an ass Berry. You knew that coming into this. Sometimes I'm just angry because I hate the world and I say shit without really thinking about it. This was one of those times. You're like…you're like my best friend or something okay?' A pause. 'I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry.'

'You're sorry,' Rachel repeats slowly and Puck scowls.

'Now who's the one laughing?'

She pretends that it doesn't matter that she's just been called his best _friend_.

'Okay. I accept your apology. We both know these only come around every so often,' she says and Puck releases her arm, Rachel pulling it to her side instinctively. She doesn't see the way Puck narrows his eyes at her action. 'And to further prove that you are truly contrite, you can sleep on the floor of my bedroom tonight.'

Don't think she doesn't notice that he hasn't asked her if she's scared or not.

'S'okay. Let me just tell Mum. Good thing she's off tonight,' he mumbles and starts texting while Rachel pulls out the bottle of Sprite she keeps in her fridge just for him. She pours herself a glass of water and averts her eyes away from Puck's throat as he gulps down his soft drink.

'I hope you know how unhealthy carbonated soft drinks are,' she chastises him and Puck gives her a smirk. His body stills before he actually smiles.

'Dude, are you watching what I think you're watching?'

'There's a _How I Met Your Mother _marathon,' she answers and can't help but giggle when he all but drags her towards the couch. He absently grabs the blanket and throws it over the both of them, one arm across the sofa and near the back of her neck. She tells herself that she's still angry at his words, which still hurt despite what she's said. It doesn't stop Rachel from settling into his side; grateful that he's here with her despite the fact that he thought she was mad at him.

When Puck looks down one episode later, Rachel's dozing against his shoulder. He pushes the thought that this is almost like how they were on his bed, except upright. He tugs her closer and hears Rachel let out a little sigh.

_I feel safe._

He brushes his fingers across her forehead, wants to lean down and kiss it.

_Best friend remember? Don't fuck it up._

Letting out a small sigh he puts his legs up on the coffee table now that Rachel's asleep, lets his mind focus on Marshall telling Ted and Barney that he got robbed by a monkey.

The last thought he has before his eyes drift shut is that he's thankful for how bright the Berry's lights are.


	4. Chapter 4

When Rachel wakes up, she notices that her pillow is hard. It takes her a moment to realize that she's practically half on top of Puck, who's got his head tipped back. His eyelashes shadow the curve of his cheek and it isn't hard to see why so many girls find him attractive. Puck is _gorgeous _really and Rachel isn't ashamed to admit it. The buzzing on her hip alerts her to the fact that her phone is ringing.

She gently attempts to extricate herself from Puck without waking him. He really does look absolutely adorable when he's asleep. Innocent even. Less tired. Her fingers itch to smooth themselves over his skin but she instead makes them reach for her Blackberry. It's ten past eleven in the morning and Rachel has to blink to make sure that's the correct time. Had she really been asleep that long? Then she sees the day and her heart starts beating wildly in her chest.

'_No_! Oh no, no, no, _no_!' She belts out at the top of her lungs. Puck startles awake next to her, eyes darting from left to right as he tries to figure out why she's shrieking her head off. Rachel's already scrambling off the couch, throwing the blanket haphazardly over towards him and answering the phone at the same time. Matt's on the other line, asking her why she sounds so winded.

'Oh Matthew I'm afraid we'll have to postpone this conversation for later. I'm currently running late for ballet and Madam Rosa doesn't tolerate tardiness at all,' she manages to say into the phone as she leaps up the stairs. Matt laughs and tells her he'll call back later tonight. Rachel's grabbing her clothes from the dresser, clumsily stuffing a pair of jeans and a tank top into the small duffle she usually brings along with her.

'Berry? What the fuck?' Puck mumbles and Rachel spins around, clutching whatever she has in her hand to her chest. Puck's rubbing his eyes and Rachel feels herself melt a little at the sight. She's mentioned how adorable he is, hasn't she? She thinks it bears repeating.

'I don't mean to be rude Noah,' she tells him, her back to him as she resumes her task. She hears him collapse onto her head, dragging that round plush red heart she'd received from Jesse for Valentine's Day forever ago and placing it under his head. 'But I've got ballet in approximately two hours and since my car is currently unavailable, the bus arrives in exactly twenty-eight minutes-'

'I'll give you a lift,' Puck mumbles.

'Oh Noah, that's okay,' she's quick to decline because she remembers how he called her his best friend, knows that the more time she spends with this sweet side of Puck will wear away the walls she's erected to ensure that this doesn't become another Finn type situation.

'S'alright,' he says into the pillow, flops an arm lazily to signify his point. 'Got nothin' else to do on a Sunday.'

Well it does mean that she can take her time getting ready. Rachel's managed to formulate a beauty regimen that's a bit time-consuming (it isn't as long as Kurt's though) but she believes the end result is worth it. And especially considering Jesse's going to be there, she likes to think that the extra effort she puts in is kind of like rubbing it in his face a little. She's seen him look at her more than once, and Rachel's sure that those looks can be classified as _lingering_. It makes her smile a little, as does the sight of Noah sprawled on top of her bed.

'I'll wake you when I've made breakfast,' she murmurs softly to him, gives him an indulgent smile.

'Thanks baby,' he answers and Rachel freezes, whips around to stare at him. But he's already asleep and she can't help but feel the lead ball that slips into her stomach.

_Best friend remember?_

Puck isn't sure how he managed to drift off when Rachel Berry was showering just _inches _away from him. Maybe that's why he had that totally hot dream about the two of them, naked, her legs wrapped around him while he'd nibbled down the side of her neck. Her hair had been tickling his chest and she'd moaned his name, nails digging into his back. He'd woken up with a hard on pressed firmly into her mattress and Puck had felt kind of guilty. Berry's bedroom looked like Polly Pocket had waved her magic wand inside. Puck squeezed his eyes shut, the smell of peppermint hitting his nose. The door to the bathroom was ajar and he could totally smell something chocolate downstairs. Levering himself up, Puck wandered into the ensuite and splashed some water onto his face. He squirted out some toothpaste onto his finger and got rid of the morning breath. Rinsing his mouth, he couldn't resist seeing what kind of perfume made Berry smell so good all the time.

Glancing out the door to make sure Rachel was still downstairs, he uncapped the tall clear glass bottle and sniffed. It smelled clean, kind of like summer. Grass and white linen mixed together. He spotted the shampoo bottle and figured out where the peppermint came from. Puck liked that Rachel didn't smell all floral and shit. He remembered this one girl who had smelled sickly sweet. All Puck could do while he was making out with her was tell himself not to vomit all over her Cheerio outfit.

The footsteps on the stairs made him hastily place the perfume down and Puck stepped out of the bathroom to see Rachel wearing a leotard with some kind of wrap thing hanging low on her hips. It hugs her tight little body in all the right places and Puck thinks of Finn hitting the mailman so that he doesn't lose his shit again.

'Oh you're awake,' she seemed surprised and Puck shrugs.

'Whatever the fuck you're making smells good,' he answers and stretches a little. His shirt rides up a little and he's not surprised to see Rachel's eyes find their way to the sliver of skin he's got exposed. His abs are ridiculous, like that Portuguese footballer rocking those underwear ads for Armani or something. Puck's spent time honing his body and he smirks when he sees Rachel blush. It's kind of cute.

'Breakfast is ready. We have to leave soon. Fifteen minutes,' she says hurriedly and then disappears down the stairs. Puck comes down to see these _huge _chocolate muffins sitting on the cooling rack.

'Shit Berry,' he tells her, making sure to sound appreciative. She gives him this coy smile and goes back to eating what looks like egg whites. He wrinkles his nose. 'What the hell's with the chick food?'

'I don't want my stomach too heavy before I dance,' she lectures him, like he's supposed to know this.

'So you have ballet every Sunday or something?' He asks, biting into the muffin. Rachel wrinkles her nose at him but surprisingly doesn't say anything about his lack of manners.

'Not usually. But we're putting on a recital in a few weeks and Madam Rosa expects perfection,' she's telling him as she deposits the empty plate into the dishwasher. She looks at him expectantly and Puck pretty much shoves the rest of the muffin into his mouth. He doesn't bother responding to the disgusted look Rachel's got on, instead grabbing another.

'Here,' Rachel sighs, placing a Tupperware full of muffins into his hands. 'Consider it payment for your good deed.'

Yeah, no question how cool this chick is.

They spend the drive to the dance studio in relative silence. Rachel fiddles with the radio and Puck lets her, allowing himself to relax as she sings along with whatever comes on. It's the song that she sang off-key when her throat went all FUBAR. She must have realized this too because she's giving him this big smile, makes her voice a little louder.

He's glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, admires the way the sun hits her hair. It's pulled back into a tight bun and it kind of makes those big, brown eyes of hers fill her face even more. The dimples he knows appear in the apple of her cheeks are just barely visible.

'Thank you for the lift Noah,' she says sweetly and for some reason he's asking her before he can really comprehend what he's saying.

'You mind if I come in and hang out?'

'W-What?'

'I'll drive you home,' he cuts the engine and Rachel's still looking at him like he's an alien or something. 'That way you don't have to take the bus.'

'Really Noah, I doubt that spending your Sunday afternoon at a ballet class is your ideal form of entertainment.' Is it his imagination or does she look kind of nervous?

'S'fine. I'll expand my cultural horizons or whatever it is you yap on about,' he waves her concern away, reaching for her duffle and shuffling out of his truck. Rachel gingerly does the same and now she's standing in front of him, biting her lip.

'Well I suppose I have to admire your sudden interest in _ballare_,' she's muttering to herself, trying to pry her duffle away from him. Puck holds it away and jerks his head for her to lead the way. Rachel does so, slowly.

'What?' She keeps looking at him like he might combust.

'There's something I haven't mentioned before. Well, it hasn't really come up in conversation really because I don't believe you've _ever _shown any interest in the various vocal and dance classes I engage myself-'

'_Berry_,' he cuts in, knowing she'll ramble on otherwise.

'Promise me you'll be on your best behaviour.'

'Scout's honour,' he answers back readily.

'I'm _serious_ Noah,' Rachel tells him and she looks like how she did that night she announced he makes her feel safe, all serious and without a hint of doubt on her face. Its kind of unnerving the trust she has in him.

'Fine. Whatever. I'll be a saint.'

When he spots that curly-haired douche with his leg on the handrail mounted against the wall, everything starts to kind of make sense.


	5. Chapter 5

**I've started an LJ where I might put up little drabbles I probably won't on ff. So follow me there =) Don't worry I'll still be updating this one too!**

**http:/(space)aswordsworth(dot)livejournal(dot)com**

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Puck glares as Jesse settles his hands on Rachel's waist, as if he _deserves _to touch her after what he'd done. Just the thought of seeing Rachel walking into the choir room, her little head held high while yellow crap drips all over the floor, makes him want to drive his fist into the douche's face. Thing that shits him even more is that he isn't quite sure whether Rachel _likes _the asshole touching her.

He's slouched down in the corner of the room, legs stretched out on the floor. A few of the girls have winked and him and all, but honestly Puck's just trying to avoid pissing off Madam Rosa. He'd expected this lithe old lady, probably Italian. Madam Rosa actually kind of looked like Queen Latifah, and she _legit _scared the fuck out of him. No lie. The minute he'd walked in with Rachel, the ballet instructor had gone all, 'What is this _hoodlum _doing in my establishment?' Rachel of course had immediately gone into some long-winded explanation that kind of made him out to be her saviour or something like that. Ol' Rosa probably had a soft spot for Rachel because she'd waved her hand in the air and told him to sit the fuck down and try to not be in the way.

_Then _he'd spent what felt like forever trying to not get sexually frustrated. Because Rachel? _Shit_. He'd kind of figured that she'd be all flexible and compact, with that nice little dancer's body that she rocked. But then he'd seen her lift her leg _right above her head_ all-casual like and his mouth had gotten kind of dry. Then the sex shower dream had gotten reworked and he'd shifted around a little, trying to pretend that this wasn't making him hot, before Rosa had turned her beady eyes on him. Needless to say Puck's been attempting to imitate a statue ever since.

St Jerk isn't making it easy though.

_I Invented Sex _fills the room and Puck fumbles for his phone, Madam Rosa looking she's thinking whether to castrate him or not.

'Sorry,' he manages to get out before disappearing behind the exit. Not before he sees the amused smile on Rachel's face, and the disapproving one on Jesse's.

'Dude, where you at?' Mike's voice comes through and Puck grits his teeth.

'Fuck Chang, you almost got me _killed_.'

'What?' Mike sounds confused.

Puck rolls his eyes. 'Nevermind. What do you want?'

'Matt and I need to, like, discuss the _epic _shit that went down Friday,' Mike tells him seriously. 'Tell me that didn't freak you the fuck out. I _dare _you.'

'Yeah Berry couldn't sleep either,' Puck deflects because there was just no way he was _ever _admitting that the TB hospital had scarred him for life.

'Shit,' Mike says and he hears Matt mutter something in the background. 'I'm not _gossiping_. Puckerman, where are you? We'll come pick you up. I need a double quarter pounder with cheese if we're going to-'

'I'll meet you there,' Puck quickly answers. Too quickly it seems because Mike's suspicious now and his friend was worse than an old lady when he managed to catch wind that someone was hiding something from him.

'Noah, are you with Rachel?' Mike asks, sounding completely patronizing and amused.

'Fuck you.'

'No thanks,' Mike shoots back. 'So are you?'

Puck sighs heavily. 'Whatever. Berry needed a lift to her ballet class. So I'm hanging out here until she's done. Which isn't for another half hour or something.'

'You at the dance studio near Elm?'

'Yeah,' Puck answers. 'How the fuck did you know?'

'We take hip-hop. _Duh_. Seen Elle there a couple of times. See you in five.'

Mike hangs up before Puck can protest.

Three minutes later and Mike's Honda Civic pulls up smoothly next to him. Puck's got his arms folded and watches as Matt and Mike climb out of the car, both of them grinning at him like those creepy Little Sisters in Bioshock. Puck already knows what they're going to say and he can feel himself getting defensive.

'Don't even assholes,' Puck bites out and this only makes Mike grin even more. Fucker. 'Any of you know that St Jackoff takes the same ballet class as Rachel?'

This wipes the smile off both their faces and Puck sees Tweedledum and Tweedledee frown before shaking their head.

'We're usually here when she's got modern dance,' Matt explains. 'She never said anything about Jesse being here though.'

'She's just in there acting like the fucker didn't make her have nightmares about baby chicks!' Puck explodes because _finally_, there are two people here who can understand his anger. 'Before we went in she was all "Noah, you know I abhor physical violence. Don't even _entertain _the notion of doing anything remotely harmful to Jesse",' Puck tries to mimic Rachel. 'Fuck that noise. I say we ambush the motherfucker and cave his face in.'

'You just quoted Rachel. Like word for word,' Matt's looking at him, like he's in awe or something. This makes Puck slightly uncomfortable because _hello? _Did these idiots forget the point here?'

'Whatever. Berry keeps yapping. Something was gonna get through,' Puck tries to brush off.

'Did something…_happen _between you two?' Mike questions cautiously. Puck narrows his eyes.

_Rachel telling him he's safe. Rachel kissing him. Rachel falling asleep on his shoulder._

'Are we going to braid each other's hair or something?' Puck shoots back. 'Now isn't the time Other Asian. Slashing his tires is _nothing _compared to what he did not Rachel.'

'Word,' Matt agrees and Puck relaxes slightly. 'We need to remind those Carmel High bitches that they shouldn't fuck with your girl.'

'Berry isn't-'

'_All _our girls. Including Kurt,' Mike adds on, as if he hadn't even heard Puck. Puck scowls at the both of them. Whatever. Puck kind of scopes out the parking lot, his eyes crinkling at the corners when he spots exactly what he needs. Mike and Matt follow his line of sight and grin too.

_Oh it was on like Donkey Kong._

When rehearsal is over, Rachel wanders over to where her duffle is. Puck is still conspicuously absent and she fiddles with the strap as the rest of the class files out, calling out their goodbyes to her as they do. She smiles and reciprocates, giving herself another minutes before shouldering the bag. He was probably outside, she tells herself, because he had mentioned that he was going to drive her home. He wouldn't simply _leave _her here, would he?

Rachel's so lost in thought that she doesn't notice Jesse until he's next to her. He's been friendly, relatively so, since defecting back to Carmel. But if he thinks that she's going to forget that vicious look on his face, the way he had smashed that egg on her forehead after telling her that he had liked her…

'So I see the Neanderthal managed to worm his way into your favour,' Jesse says and it startles her slightly. He's brushing against her arm and Rachel inches away, flickering her gaze so that she's staring straight ahead when she speaks.

'Noah has always been a gentlemen.'

'Obviously. What girl doesn't find someone throwing processed ice in their face the standard of common decency?'

'The one that considers a boy who claimed to have feelings for said girl participate in a mass egging,' she answers smartly back. 'Especially knowing that said girl was vegan.'

'Are we still speaking in hypothetical?' Jesse wonders. Rachel resists the urge to snort.

'Did you require something Jesse? Because I was quite content to adhere to your prior request to ignore you while you did your plies and arabesques.'

They are almost at the doors and Rachel feels herself relax slightly when she sees Puck with Mike and Matt, all huddled together. She frowns when they all look up at once, as if knowing she was almost within their reach.

'Oh look. He's found friends,' Jesse says out of corner of his mouth.

'Noah is an _exceptional _young man,' Rachel gives in and seethes, just before the entrance. It's clear and glass, and she hopes soundproof. 'He's gifted and talented and _somebody_.'

'Has he won Nationals three years in a row?' The vehemence in his tone makes her blink.

'Are you…are you jealous?' She marvels.

'Of course not,' he retorts but she doesn't quite believe him. 'Face it Rachel, if you weren't good enough for me or Shelby, what makes you think you'd be good enough for Puck?'

The comment stings, finds its way deep under her skin. One thing that will always make Jesse so difficult is that he _knows _her in a way that scares her, knows exactly how to pick away at her confidence and that _I'm going to be a star! _demeanor that she wears so well.

The sight of Puck, Matt and Mike hauling Jesse off sets her feet into motion.

'What are you _doing_?' She yells and Jesse is kind of flailing around. He manages to land a kick on Matt's shin and this only seems to anger Puck and Mike more. Rachel sees where they're heading and gasps. She wants to stomp her foot and tell Puck that he _promised_, that he wasn't going to lay a hand of Jesse.

But then the sharp bite of Jesse's words just seconds ago rings through her head and Rachel finds the reprimand fade away.

They throw Jesse into the dumpster. It isn't punctuated with whatever it is Rachel thinks teenage boys usually tell their victims.

(Kurt's never said a word about what Puck and the other football players did or uttered before they'd subjected him to the same treatment, and Rachel knows she'll never ask him)

Instead the three of them kind of stand in front of the dumpster looking incredibly smug. Finally Puck speaks and it sends a chill down Rachel's spine, but makes her want to laugh out loud all the same.

'Another one bites _what _dust now, bitch?'


	6. Chapter 6

Rachel picks at the fries laid out in front of her, the three boys all sneaking what they think are covert glances at her face as she keeps her eyes downcast. Puck's seated right across from her and she knows the silence is freaking him out because he's still on his first Big Mac. He usually devours three because he complains that the burgers are too damn small. Mike and Matt are just as disturbed but this hasn't at all affected their appetite.

All she can focus on isn't the fact that Jesse got thrown into a dumpster.

(Really. He orchestrated a _mass egging _against her. She can't even begin to muster up the sympathy)

No, it's the fact that Jesse was _jealous_. Of _Puck_. Rachel darts her eyes up to see Puck staring at her. She meets his gaze defiantly, remembers the confusing emotions that this boy stirs up inside of her. How he's called her his best friend, how he hasn't bothered to acknowledge the fact that they shared something special. Like that kiss.

'Got something to say Berry?' Puck says and Mike and Matt grow quiet, chew as slowly as they can. It feels like he's taunting her.

'What would you like me to say Noah?' She questions, leaning back in her chair and folds her arms across her chest. Puck puts down the second Big Mac, takes a gulp of soda before speaking. Rachel bounces her foot in the air impatiently.

'We were kind of expecting an epic bitchfest about what we did to Jesse. You were spouting that pacifist shit pretty hard before-'

She finds herself growing inexplicably angry with Puck, with his stupid green eyes and his stupid nice arms.

'What would exactly be the point of me condemning your actions?' She interrupts. 'I won't deny that there was a certain measure of satisfaction seeing Jesse humiliated.'

'So you're okay with what we did?' Matt forays into the conversation cautiously.

Rachel swings around and fixes him with a glare. 'No _Puckerman_, I am absolutely not okay with the manner in which Jesse was…disposed off.'

'That dick _egged _you,' Puck scowls. Rachel feels herself wince, remembers the yolk dripping into her mouth. She had gone through an entire bottle of Listerine trying to get the taste of it out of her tongue.

'I'm very well aware-'

'Then _what _is your problem?' Puck raises his voice and _this _definitely makes Rachel want to reach across and strangle him. Isn't it _obvious_, she thinks to herself, why exactly she isn't exactly reveling in this so-called victory? Has everything that has happened the past few years not creeped back into his thick skull?

Instead of saying this Rachel grinds her molars together, gets viciously to her feet. Yes she is causing a scene but at least she's going to do it with flair thank you very much. She wishes her hair wasn't scraped back because she desperately wishes she can flip it haughtily over her shoulder as some kind of statement. Rachel settles for flicking her wrap gently into place, peers down her nose at Puck who looks seriously pissed off.

'Michael, would you be so kind as to escort me home?' She asks but it isn't really a question.

'Like _fuck _duck sauce is going to-'

'_Hey_!'

'-drive you home,' Puck finishes, ignoring the offended look on Mike's face. Rachel doesn't though and instead sees this as just another facet of his insensitivity. She fixes her face into a determined glare and ensures her next words are delivered with appropriate aplomb.

'I'll be waiting outside by the car Michael,' she states before storming off towards the exit.

Puck sits there kind of shocked, wondering where the hell this residual hostility is coming from. Was she still on about he'd called her a freak? Because he'd apologized and that shit had taken some serious emotional growth. Puck throws his half-eaten Big Mac down and tells Mike to not even _think _about stepping foot outside before he bolts through, ignoring the dirty look a middle-aged mother is sending his way.

He finds Rachel tapping her foot impatiently, hands rubbing up and down her arms as she stands next to Mike's Honda Civic. Her eyes snap up to see him and Puck doesn't like the way her brown eyes darken with something that isn't lust.

'What the fuck Rach?' He demands and he knows he should have eased into it or something because suddenly Berry's unleashed her crazy, her eyes popping wide open as her lips compress into a thin line.

'I really don't wish to continue this conversation right now Puck.' It's the use of his nickname that sends alarms ringing through his head.

'No we're damn well going to discuss the stick that's shoved up your ass,' he fires back and Rachel draws herself up to her full height, straightens her shoulders as if she's about to tear him a new one.

'You really think I would rejoice in the fact that you threw the first boy I've ever had a real relationship with into a dumpster? I've been the victim of your so-called chosen method of retribution Puck, and I can assure you that while Jesse certainly deserved perhaps a lyrical equivalent of what you meted out, the fact remains that I would _never _find pleasure in demeaning someone in that way.'

'And what? I'm the kind of person who does?' He shoots back and doesn't know why there's this pain thudding hard against his chest, like someone's taken a knife and twisted it deep above his heart. He watches Rachel falter and it's her hesitation that cuts the most, Puck thinks.

'Oh that's just fucking _great _Berry. You spout off all that crap about us being friends and you think I'm some low-life Lima Loser-'

'Don't twist my words around. I never said that.'

Puck scoffs and looks down at Rachel, notices the stray strand of hair blowing across her face. 'You didn't have to.'

The words hang between them, heavy like a stone around his neck.

'It isn't a condemnation Noah,' Rachel breathes out slow and steady. 'You've received one slushie to the face. I've received more than I can count. I've got the stained clothes and dry cleaning bills to prove it. Not to mention the inappropriate pictures of me on the bathroom wall and the rude, snide comments.' She gives him a weary smile.

That feeling in his gut? It's guilt, he just knows it. And aside from his mother and Quinn, Rachel Berry's the only other person he knows who can help him grow a fucking conscience.

'It's different on the other side,' is all she says and Puck isn't sure if that's an apology or not. He can't look at her so he studies his shoes; wonders where that scuff mark on the tip came from.

'You know I'm sorry right?' He puts out there, closing his eyes as he recalls the day Rachel sat on his thigh and gently washed the slushie out of his hair.

'I know,' she answers and gives him a tight smile. They stand there for a few moments, both feeling incredibly awkward. His head shoots up, his mind latching onto something that she'd said earlier.

'Did you like Jesse?' He blurts out and Rachel looks astonished at the question, chews on her bottom lip the same way she does whenever she's nervous.

'You know I do Noah,' she whispers and he doesn't miss the lack of past tense in that statement.

'Even after everything he's done? You'd _still _suck face with that loser?' He counters, feels his fingers clench as an image of Jesse and Rachel making out fills his head. It makes him want to smash something into teeny, tiny bits.

She gives him this pained look, one that's stuck half-way between vulnerability and uneasiness, as if she can't decide whether she quite wants to share this part of herself with him.

'Jesse didn't string me along or want me to be anything other than what I was. As I've been reminded by _everyone_ constantly, I'm not an easy girl to like Noah. I'm brash, abrasive and I simply do not see the need to censor myself when doling out constructive criticism. I'm melodramatic and prone to diva fits. Jesse didn't see anything wrong with that.'

'No. He just hooked up with you because your mother told him to,' Puck harshly points out because he doesn't like the way Rachel's idolizing Jesse, making him out to be this shining beacon of light in what is otherwise the dark landscape of her life. Because _fuck_ hasn't Puck proven that he _likes _those things about her? Sure sometimes she makes him want to gouge his ears out with a metal pick, but most of the time Rachel's actually cool.

'Perhaps. But for that brief shining moment, I was somebody's somebody.' Rachel glances at something over his shoulder and Puck twists around to see Mike walking towards them.

'I wasn't second prize to Quinn Fabray. I wasn't a…consolation,' she continues and Mike's almost upon them. Rachel must notice this too because she delivers the last shot like this is what she's been building up to.

'And I most definitely wasn't his best friend.'

_Well fuck me._

'Rachel-' Puck reaches out for her but she clears her throat abruptly, ducks away from his hand gracefully.

'Goodbye Noah,' she tells him softly. Mike claps his hand on Puck's shoulder, doesn't even flinch when he finds hard green eyes slam against his face.

'Give it time dude. Trust me,' Mike tells him sagely.

'Whatever Mr Miyagi,' Puck bites back. Mike simply raises an eyebrow and practically pounds his back as he makes his way towards the driver's side.

Puck watches as they pull out of the parking lot, Rachel staring straight ahead.

_And I most definitely wasn't his best friend._

If Puck were some kind of girl, this would be the part he brushes his fingers across his lips the same way Rachel did that night they went to the hospital. But since he isn't he simply stands there until Matt comes out with his food in a paper bag.

Since he isn't Dean Winchester he can't go find that ghost who turned up at the hospital and exorcize its phantom ass. There's only one thing he can do, really.

'Let's go Rutherford. I need to blow some shit up on your big screen TV.'

**a/n: if I wrote a Cold Case Lily/Scotty (because danny pino makes me swoon EVERY SINGLE TIME), would anyone read it?**


	7. Chapter 7

Puck finds himself back at the hospital, just outside the rusty gate where Rachel had thrown her hissy fit. He takes in the sign swaying gently in the wind, hears it creak and groan along with the rest of the structure. His truck isn't anywhere nearby but he spots a car parked a few feet away from him.

_Okay. What the fuck is going on?_

'Dude, what is with the hair?' Someone asks, sounding mildly disgusted. Puck freezes because he knows that voice. He's heard it so much, sometimes even pitched his own that way, that Puck can pick it out from a crowd. He twists around to see Dean Winchester striding towards him, an amused smirk on the older man's face.

'Dean,' Sam Winchester speaks up, coming to stand beside his brother.

Puck remembers being at Matt's, the hurt and stoic expression on Rachel's face as she speaks to him hovering behind his lids every time he blinks. He sure as hell doesn't recall ever being anywhere near this rundown, _haunted _hospital voluntarily after what had gone down the last time he had been there.

'Don't worry. We went in there and kicked some poltergeist ass,' Dean assures him, clapping him rather heartily on the back. 'You guys need to leave this kind of stuff to the professionals.'

'What my brother is trying to say is that we're glad you're here,' Sam interrupts, flashing Puck a strained smile.

'I'm here?' Puck repeats, brow furrowing. 'Here for what? What the fuck is happening? Am I high? Because I haven't had dip since Berry sent me those daily emails with those fucking horrifying-'

'Wow,' Dean whistles. 'This is worse than I thought. I didn't think it was possible for a guy to be this pussywhipped but here you are, fugly haircut and all.'

Puck stops talking. 'Did you just insult my 'hawk?'

'You named that stupid ass thing after a _bird_?' Dean questions Puck incredulously and for a second Puck thinks, personal hero or not, he was going to flex the guns and show the asshole how fully loaded they were.

'It's called a mohawk Dean. Can you let it go? We came here to do a job,' Sam chastises.

'Wait…you're _hunting _me?' Puck raises his voice.

'Well we are pursuing a live animal for entertainment,' Dean muses, earning himself an elbow in the ribs from his taller sibling.

'Look Puckerman,' Sam steamrolls over the other man, 'we're here to get your head back in the game.'

This was entirely too surreal.

'When are you going to bang this Rachel chick already?' Dean's words elicits a hard glare from Puck.

'Don't say shit like that about Berry, got it?'

Sam spreads his hands out in surrender, while Dean simply raises both his eyebrows.

'Then grow a pair and ask her out already,' Dean suggests sarcastically.

'Berry and I aren't like that,' Puck let's the excuse roll off his tongue with ease. 'She's a chick and she's my friend. I'm not gonna screw shit up.'

'Then why'd you get so jealous when that Jesse kid touched her? Isn't that why you threw him in the dumpster?' Sam asks, sounding genuinely curious.

'_Hell no_,' Puck exclaims. 'That jackass fucking _egged _her! Berry's a vegan and that crap like induced some kind of PTSD or something. She's like, psychologically and emotionally scarred for _life_.'

'So she's your samsel in distress then?' Dean poses and Sam heaves out an irritated sigh.

'Berry's my bro,' Puck counters.

'Who kissed you,' Sam points out. For a moment Puck can feel Rachel's lips on his, the way she tucks herself into his frame and declares him safe. That same warm feeling spreads across his chest again and Puck knows that if Mike or Matt had tried to do the same thing, both would have had had to eat through straws for the rest of their lives.

'Okay so she kissed me. And I fucking liked it. I mean, I'm not blind. I know Berry's hot,' Puck defends himself.

'Yeah,' Dean concedes, sounding kind of dreamy.

'Dude, do you _understand _what pedophilia means?' Sam wonders. Dean turns to regard his brother with a deadpan expression.

'Like I've said before Sammy, there are many colours in a rainbow.'

'Whatever,' Sam decides to ignore his brother and focuses his gaze on Puck, who stuffs his hands into his jeans to avoid his steady green eyes. 'Look Puck, you've got a lot of Dean in you. Cocky, arrogant bastard who thinks he's god's gift to women. Keeps things bottled up inside until you either explode or whine about how you don't want to talk about it.'

'Screw you Sammy.'

'What's so bad about telling Rachel how you feel?' Sam directs this at Puck.

_And I most definitely wasn't his best friend._

Shit, did Rachel actually admit that she had more than friendly feelings for him? Now that he thought about it, Puck wonders how he hadn't seen it before. That swooping feeling in his stomach whenever Berry was near, the easy way she fit with and into him, the way sometimes when he was thinking about Beth she would just sit next to him quietly…

'Shit,' Puck breathes out, his chest squeezing tight with realization.

'Finally,' Dean says.

'No I mean _shit_. What the fuck am I supposed to do now?' Puck wants to grab Dean by the collar and shake him, but then remembers the gun Dean's got tucked in the back of his jeans.

'Just tell her how you feel,' Sam tells him, sounding a bit sympathetic.

'No don't give him your Bambi crap,' Dean brushes off Sam's advice, angles his head towards Puck. 'Just think of the girl as something that needs to be hunted. You've already done the research, know what you're coming up against. You already know the one weapon that can hit her and make her vulnerable.'

Puck looks at him blankly.

'You, you idjit!' Dean groans, slapping Puck upside the head. 'C'mon! Really?'

'She's his greatest weakness too genius,' Sam rolls his eyes.

'Look this chick has stood by you right? Everyone else thought you weren't worth the time but Rachel stuck her neck out and told them to go to hell. She's _still _around and isn't with that big, lumbering giant who looks like he can't tell his right from left. She's even _made out _with you. If you have a friggin' pulse, man, just _do it already_,' Dean ends his rant by giving Puck a meaningful look.

Puck nods his head slowly, not sure why he feels like he's talking to Yoda.

'Okay. Sure. I'm fucking Puckzilla. I can do this. I mean, Berry _has _to have the hots for me,' Puck says, almost to himself.

'_Puckzilla_?' Dean snorts unelegantly and Sam shakes his head slightly. 'God, I'm _so _glad I'm not a teenager anymore. You know kid, you should shave your head and get a leather jacket. Trust me.'

'Don't corrupt the youth of today Dean,' Sam retorts.

'What? The next thing you know this guy's gonna call himself a sex shark,' Dean gestures towards Puck, who wisely decides to remain silent.

'Puck! Puck!' Someone calls, the voice echoing hollowly around them. The ground underneath starts to shake and roll, Puck stumbling to the side.

'Is that Rutherford?' Puck yells.

'Remember dude – save the naked women!' Dean shouts, pumping his fists.

'That doesn't even make sense,' Sam remarks, holding Dean's shoulder to keep his balance.

'Yeah. But how awesome would that be as a bumper sticker?'

'Yo Puckerman! Wake your ass up and help me clean this up before my Ma gets home,' Matt's voice filters into Puck's head and suddenly he isn't on the outskirts of Ohio anymore. Blinking to block out the sunlight slanting across the Rutherford living room, Puck bolts upright and narrowly avoids smashing his forehead against Matt's.

'What?' Matt questions, picking out the weird expression on Puck's face.

'Rutherford, I totally just fucking had a supernatural experience about Rachel Berry.'

**a/n: sorry for the late update! Real life got in the way (blame my law degree!). but this little story is coming to an end, and hopefully those of you reading will leave a review to remind me that you haven't forgotten this story.**

**Hopefully I did Dean and Sam justice too. Writing Winchester is hard.**


	8. Chapter 8

Rachel wakes up to hear someone pounding on her door. Instinctively she reaches for the bat Puck had given her at the start of their friendship, a durable piece with a small star inscribed at the bottom.

'Midget like you needs some _real _protection,' he'd mumbled, shrugging off her beaming smile and wide, surprised eyes.

'Berry, open the damn door!' Puck's voice filters up into her ears and Rachel narrows her eyes, grips the bat tighter and swings open the front door violently. Puck seems to gape at her and it is only then that Rachel remembers what she had gone to bed in – a soft, worn McKinley High t-shirt that clearly belonged to someone quite bigger and a pair of boylegs.

Clearing her throat, Rachel pushes away her discomfort and instead ensures her bat is perfectly within Puck's line of sight.

'_What _Noah?' She asks, rather rudely but finds that she can't be bothered to be civil before seven o'clock in the morning. Puck's still got the same clothes on as yesterday and Rachel traces the patterned bird emblazoned across his chest like it's the most interesting thing in the world.

'Dean Winchester sent me,' Puck blurts out and Rachel blinks slowly.

'I beg your pardon?' Rachel replies uncertainly. Puck steps further into the house but then falters when he sees what she has in her hands.

'Fuck. Were you going to _pulverize _me Berry?'

Rachel straightens her spine. 'I thought you were an intruder bent on-'

'Nice bat,' Puck is already brushing past her, a smirk on his lips as he calls over his shoulder. Rachel debates whether delivering a glancing blow would hurt Puck too much, but then shakes her head when she considers the upper body strength she possesses from years of dance and gymnastics.

Puck hears Rachel close the door and contemplates whether this is really a good idea. After Matt had woken him up, Puck hadn't spared a thought before jumping in his truck and gunning his way over towards the Berry's tidy two-storey house. Now that he's confronted with a frowning Rachel though, all the bravado he thinks he had slowly starts to slip away. He scratches the back of his head, remembers the words Dean told him, and shrugs when he realizes that the best advice he's received thus far has come from a figment of his imagination.

'I'm sorry. Did you interrupt my REM cycle to do your best impersonation of a statue?' Rachel questions rather bitingly and he notes, with relief, that she's leaned the bat on the side of the couch.

'No,' is his winning reply and Rachel rolls her eyes.

'Noah, I have to admit that yesterday was rather emotionally testing,' Rachel says and she's doing that thing with her lip that she does whenever she's uncomfortable. This kind of bolsters his confidence a little, seeing that she might be just as nervous as he is.

'Look, okay,' Puck lets out a nice cleansing breath. 'You're kind of like my bro, you know? Except you have a nice rack.'

Rachel doesn't say a word but she does narrow her big eyes into a hard glare. Puck swallows.

'I mean I'm not blind. You're like _fucking _hot and I'm a dude. But that's not the point.'

'I sincerely wish for your sake that objectifying me wasn't it at all,' Rachel remarks evenly and this freaks Puck out because when her voice gets all non-expressive? That's when the shit usually hits the fan. Seriously. Lauren Finkle had tried to blackmail Rachel once and Berry had been all calm and quiet. The next thing everyone knew Lima's Cadbury Egg supply had mysteriously dried up.

'I can't _help _but notice that you're not a dude. And that's kind of the problem. You're like this person I tell shit too and I shouldn't want to put my hand up your skirt, but I _do_. So that day when you kissed me after the hospital I thought it was just some fucking crash from the adrenaline. Didn't think you were serious. Then I put my _massive _foot in my mouth and now you want St Jackass to feel you up in a leotard? Okay I admit I've been a douche but Berry – _Rachel _– but that crap is totally not kosher!'

'First of all Jesse did _not _molest my person because I asked him to,' Rachel retorts, folding her arms across her chest. 'I have sustained a remarkable campaign of pretending he doesn't exist and he has done the same. That day was an anomaly because I believe your presence might have prompted some…irrational behaviour on his part-'

'That douche was jealous of me, wasn't he?' Puck says with a self-satisfied smirk on his face, remembering the expression on the Vocal Adrenaline's lead's face when he had been upended into the dumpster.

'Try not to look so smug Puckerman,' Rachel snaps. 'You have no right to tell me who I can or cannot fraternize with! You aren't my boyfriend and we aren't even dating!' She jabs a finger at his chest and Puck snatches it into his hand, holds it tight.

'So if we were, you'd stay away from that asshole?'

His questions catches her off guard and Rachel looks confused, peering at him up through her lashes like he's just announced Idina Menzel is a lesbian. This lasts for barely a moment before she's trying to get away from him but Puck's kind of tired of letting the one good thing that's happened to him (aside from Beth) get away from him.

'Noah, _let me go_.'

'Hell no,' he answers forcefully. 'I've let my daughter go because it was the right thing to do. And now I'm sure as fuck making you stay because of the same reason.'

'You don't even _like _me,' Rachel says feebly and she's looking away from him. Puck doesn't like how sad she looks, like she isn't worthy of him or some fucked up logic like that. He uses his free hand to tilt her face up towards him and Rachel's eyes are glassy, like she wants to cry.

'Problem is I like you a little too much midget,' Puck finally admits and he thinks he feels something slapping him heartily on the back, the cuff of a worn brown jacket brushing against his neck. 'I like the way you don't make me feel like a complete loser, like I'm someone that's destined or some shit to fuck my life up.'

'Noah,' she says it like a reprimand at his words. 'That isn't what everyone thinks at all.'

He brushes aside her comment and instead flattens his palm against her cheek.

'Any girl who's survived a totally rad episode of _Lima's Most Haunted_, and gotten the seal of approval from the Winchesters, can totally rock my world. How about it Berry? Be my number one?' He asks, recalling her words in the parking lot about being a consolation prize.

Rachel looks at him; face completely still, before nodding mutely. Puck grins and does the one thing that he's been able to do only in his dreams these past few months. Closing the gap between them he presses his lips against her soft ones, resists the urge to moan when Rachel's hands snake up to wrap around the back of his neck and run through his mohawk.

'Dude finally grew some lady balls. I'm so proud,' Dean Winchester says, pretending to wipe away a fake tear. Sam rolls his eyes, giving Puck a small smile. A blink and all Puck can see are the photos decorating the wall behind Rachel. Feeling her tongue twist around his own, Puck closes his eyes and instead revels in securing his prey.

Sure Rachel wasn't some badass poltergeist locked inside the halls of the hospital. But if there was anything Puck had been glad to hunt, it was definitely the girl wrapped in his arms.

No homo.

**a/n: sorry for delay – I live in Brisbane and if you've seen the news, we're currently in the midst of a natural disaster. Hopefully this satisfies your craving!**

**Follow me on twitter (aswordsworth) and PM me if you feel like donating towards the relief effort we're undertaking here. Every little bit helps!**

**TEASER for a planned upcoming series after North is done (and I'm COPYRIGHTING this shiz – you know what I mean):**

_**CADAVEROUS **_**(working title)**

**Puck had known about things that go bump in the night ever since he was six. That was the night everything had changed – his mother had burned, his father had dumped him and Hannah with the Hudsons and taken off to hunt the demon that had ripped apart their family.**

**Puck had spent a lot of time resenting his father, hating him for leaving him behind. Sure he had just been a kid but the Winchesters hadn't been much older when John had taken them with him. It wasn't long after he had bumped into John Winchester that he'd found something to latch onto – a band of brothers and a purpose. Finishing high school had been a welcome relief because now he could focus on fucking up as many evil son of a bitches as he could. He'd earned a reputation as a badass, something his mother wasn't too proud of but something his sister was only too happy to boast about.**

'**Blackwater Ridge huh?' Puck spoke into the phone. 'Finn's out there camping I think.'**

'**Yeah well Dad left some coordinates to follow. You in?' Dean asked.**

'**Meet you guys out there. Sam okay?'**

**There was a pause before Dean answered. 'Call when you get there.'**

**Puck grabbed his shotgun, unaware that he was going to meet a petite brunette who would change his life forever.**


	9. QLD Flood Appeal Fic Auction

Hey guys!

I live in Brisbane and if you've seen the news recently, an area the size of France and Germany combined has now been declared a disaster zone. I've decided to sign up to a fic auction that raises funds for the Queensland Relief Fund so if you're interested in bidding, please head over to and make a bid for me (look for aswordsworth or alien09)!

waltzmatildah(dot)livejournal(dot)com(forwardslash)67134(dot)html?view=1419070#t1419070

I'm taking requests for Puckleberry for Glee; Tyler/Caroline for Vampire Diaries and Chlollie for Smallville.

If you guys could spread the word, would be much appreciated!


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